Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman revealed that he was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism after being hospitalized for a heart emergency earlier this month.
The reality star, 66, shared the news in a clip from the Monday, September 30, episode of The Dr. Oz Show. “You’re a ticking time bomb,” the host, 59, told him. “You aren’t gonna be here with the heart the way it is right now. Fear of death’s normal. I’m surprised you don’t fear death when you’re chasing after convicts. But when you run away from the doctor, that means you gotta do your own doctoring.”
Chapman became emotional in the video, recalling his mindset after his late wife, Beth Chapman, died in June following a battle with cancer. “I said, after Beth left, ‘I’m not afraid to die,’” he noted. “Oh, I was afraid to die. I said, ‘Please let go of my heart, honey. Quit squeezing my heart.’ So I take that back. I’m not afraid to go, I don’t wanna.”
Us Weekly confirmed on September 16 that the Dog’s Most Wanted star was hospitalized after suffering a heart emergency. “I can confirm Dog is under doctor’s care and is resting comfortably,” his rep told Us at the time. “Thank you for all of your well-wishes. Keep ‘em coming.”
TMZ reported that Dog was transported from his Colorado home after having chest pains.
The Dog the Bounty Hunter alum broke his silence on the health scare days later. “It feels much better now,” he told FOX31 Denver. “I’m going through some psychological things right now too, so that doesn’t help. I think, basically, I had a broken heart. And of course, it’s going to heal.”
He then elaborated on the ordeal. “I couldn’t breathe,” he explained. “It was like I had ran a three or four-mile run. … There’s something haywire of it’s psychologically. I don’t know. I guess things happen like that.”
Dog opened up to Us in August about life after Beth’s death. “There will never be another Mrs. Dog,” he said. “We both said, ‘If I die, you can have a man. 10 [men], I don’t care. But don’t marry one.’ … And she said, ‘Don’t take my name off your chest, Dog. Do not get married.’ … Don’t worry, I will not get married. I still put the pillows in the middle of the bed. This morning I thought she was still there.”
